Williamstown Theatre News

Broadway makes its way to Atlanta this fall with the Southeastern premiere of Time Stands Still at Horizon Theatre. Playwright Donald Margulies' latest work about finding happiness in a world that seems to have gone crazy received a Tony nomination for Best Play in 2010. Time Stands Still is the fourth and final production of Horizon's 2012 season and runs September 14 - October 14.

Actors SAM MUÑOZ and AARON MUÑOZ are taking on twenty different characters in a new one-hour adaptation of the Bard's classic tragedy. 2 HOUSEHOLDS, 2 ASSHOLES: SHAKEPEARE'S R & J premieres at the SOHO PLAYHOUSE as part of the 2012 NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL FRINGE FESTIVAL (FringeNYC) tonight, August 11th.

Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Gersten announced today the opening of the World Premiere of WHADDABLOODCLOT!!! by Olivier Award-winning playwright Katori Hall, beginning performances tonight, August 9, 2012. WHADDABLOODCLOT!!! is the final show to open in Williamstown Theatre Festival's 2012 season.

QWAN (Quality Without a Name) presents NOTES!!! and SWAN!!! at Berkshire Theatre Group's The Colonial Theatre on August 20 at 7:30pm featuring Christian Coulson, Jack Ferver, Jenn Harris, Randy Harrison, Phillip Taratula and Matthew Wilkas.

LiveWire Chicago Theatre kicks off its 2012-13 season with the Chicago premiere of THE MISTAKES MADELINE MADE, a savagely funny story of love and dirty people by Elizabeth Meriwether, creator and writer of the hit FOX sitcom New Girl and Heddatron, and directed by LiveWire Collective member Krista D'Agostino. This quirky dark comedy plays October 3 - November 3, 2012 at the Greenhouse Theater Center Upstairs Studio, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago. The production features LiveWire Artistic Director Joel Ewing and LiveWire Associate Artistic Director Chris Zdenek with Kristin Collins, Fred Geyer and Hilary Williams. Tickets are currently on sale at www.greenhousetheater.com. The press performance is Friday, October 5 at 8 pm.

The world premiere of Brace Yourself, opens at Berkshire Theatre Group's Fitzpatrick Main Stage on August 18 at 8pm. Previews begin August 14 at 8pm and closing is on August 25. Brace Yourself is sponsored by Country Curtains, Blantyre and The Red Lion Inn.

Actors SAM MUÑOZ and AARON MUÑOZ are taking on twenty different characters in a new one-hour adaptation of the Bard's classic tragedy. 2 HOUSEHOLDS, 2 ASSHOLES: SHAKEPEARE'S R & J premieres at the SOHO PLAYHOUSE as part of the 2012 NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL FRINGE FESTIVAL (FringeNYC) on August 11th.

Producers Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel and Howard & Janet Kagan announced today that THE ANARCHIST, a new play written and directed by DAVID MAMET starring PATTI LuPONE and DEBRA WINGER, previously announced to be presented at the Lyceum Theatre, will now be presented on Broadway at the newly refurbished Golden Theatre (252 West 45th Street). All persons who purchased tickets prior to the venue change will be contacted by Telecharge.

Looking for a quick roundup of this week's events in the theatre world? Look no further - here are some of the best articles the week had to offer!

Betty Buckley won a Tony Award for the role of Grizabella in Cats, starred as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard, was a Tony nominee for Triumph of Love, and starred on TV's Eight is Enough, film's Tender Mercies and Carrie, and in many other memorable roles. On Aug 11 & 12 she makes her debut at The Art House, joined by Seth Rudetsky at piano, as the celebrated Broadway at The Art House series continues. For tickets please visit www.ptownarthouse.com or call 508-487-9222.

Williamstown Theatre Festival presents The Elephant Man, now running on the Nikos Stage through August 5. View new production photos below!

Williamstown Theatre Festival will take a look at arguably the most contentious social issue of the 21st Century when the Festival presents a reading of "8" on Monday. Artistic Director Jenny Gersten announced today the cast and creative team for the one-night-only event, which will be presented on the Main Stage on Monday, August 6 in a staged reading benefitting Broadway Impact and American Foundation for Equal Rights. T he performance will be followed by a talkback.

Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Gersten announced today the opening of A Month in the Country, the last Main Stage production of the season which opens August 2 following performances beginning August 1.

The producers of Peter and the Starcatcher, a new play by Tony Award-nominee Rick Elice, announced today that a new block of tickets are now on sale, through January 6, 2013. Directed by Tony Award-winner Roger Rees and Tony Award-nominee Alex Timbers, Peter and the Starcatcher began performances on March 28, 2012 and opened April 15, 2012, and is playing at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street).

he American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) has announced additional casting information for David Adjmi's new play, Marie Antoinette, directed by Rebecca Taichman, with choreography by Karole Armitage, in a co-production with Yale Repertory Theatre. Marie Antoinette begins previews on Saturday, September 1, and runs through Saturday, September 29, with press opening on Friday, September 7 at 7:30pm.

Williamstown Theatre Festival presents The Elephant Man, now running on the Nikos Stage through August 5. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production photos below.

HERO Theatre previously announced that Joe Manganiello of HBO's True Blood and feature film Magic Mike would join Emmy Award winner William H. Macy, star of Showtime's Shameless and Academy Award nominee for Fargo, in a benefit reading of Tennessee Williams' "Small Craft Warnings", directed by John Frank Levey. The benefit will be held today, July 29 at 6pm at the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica, Calif. The event will include a silent auction.

Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Gersten announced the opening of The Elephant Man, which opens on the Nikos Stage July 26 following performances beginning July 25.

Stage and screen star Sanaa Lathan (A Raisin in the Sun, Contagion) returns to the title role in Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage's By the Way, Meet Vera Stark for its West Coast premiere at the Geffen Playhouse. Lathan, who originated the character of Vera Stark in the critically acclaimed New York run, will once again take the stage as the 1930's era maid turned movie star, reunited with original cast member Kimberly Hebert Gregory (Spike Lee's Red Hook Summer) reprising her role as fellow aspiring African American actress Lottie. Broadway vet and Geffen alum Merle Dandridge (Spamalot, Rent, Aida) will take on the spicy role of Anna Mae, who fakes a Brazilian accent for a slice of fame, and former leading lady of ABC's Man Up, Amanda Detmer, will portray Gloria Mitchell, the white starlet dubbed "America's little sweetie pie" and Vera's first employer. Helmed by award-winning director Jo Bonney, the West Coast premiere cast also features Kevin Carroll (Paid in Full, Being John Malkovich), Spencer Garrett (Iron Man 3, Air Force One) and Geffen alum Mather Zickel (Extraordinary Chambers, Rachel Getting Married).